Undergraduate students' perceptions of child sexual abuse: The impact of victim sex, perpetrator sex, respondent sex, and victim response

Broussard, Sylvia D.; Wagner, William G.; Kazelskis, Richard

doi:10.1007/bf00980533

Cited by 76 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Finally, based on previous literature (e.g., Dollar et al, 2004), we predicted that male participants would be more affected by characteristics of the vignettes (e.g., perpetrator's gender, victim's gender) than female participants. Although we did not specifically hypothesize about the nature of other interactions, because abuse perceptions are moderated by a complex interplay of factors (e.g., Bornstein & Muller, 2001;Broussard et al, 1991), we included all two-way interactions in the statistical models for exploratory purposes.…”

Section: Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the vignettes utilized in the current study were similar to those used in other studies (e.g., Broussard et al, 1991 andDollar et al, 2004), there are some methodological limitations that warrant discussion. For example, all study participants responded to each of the 24 vignettes.…”

Section: Limitations and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Researchers also have reported that perceptions of child sexual abuse (CSA) vary according to characteristics of the case (Broussard, Wagner, & Kazelskis, 1991;Dollar, Perry, Fromuth, & Holt, 2004). For example, Broussard et al, in a study examining college students' perceptions of out-of-court cases of sexual abuse, asked participants to evaluate sexual abuse vignettes, which varied by perpetrator gender, victim gender, and victim response (encouraging, passive, or resisting), in terms of the extent to which they represented CSA.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Child abuse in the eyes of the beholder: Lay perceptions of child sexual and physical abuse

Bornstein¹,

Kaplan²,

Perry³

2007

Child Abuse & Neglect

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Objective: The purpose was to explore the effects of victim and perpetrator gender, type of abuse, and victim-perpetrator relationship on university students' and non-students' perceptions of different kinds of child abuse. Method: One hundred and ninety-nine participants (including university students and non-student adults) evaluated each of 24 vignettes (within-subjects design) describing an abusive interaction between a child and an adult. The following four variables were manipulated: the victim's gender, the perpetrator's gender, the type of abuse (physical, relatively mild sexual, or relatively severe sexual), and the perpetrator's relationship to the victim (parent or babysitter). Participants rated each vignette on a number of dimensions: degree of trauma and severity, likelihood of general occurrence and reoccurrence, victim believability, and "repressibility" of the event.Results: Significant interactions emerged on each dimension. For example, sexual abuse (whether mild or severe) was rated as being more traumatic and severe if perpetrated by a parent, but relationship type did not affect perceptions of physical abuse. In addition, significant perpetrator gender by victim gender interactions indicated that homosexual abuse was perceived as more traumatic and repressible than heterosexual abuse, but as less likely to occur; and male participants tended to be more affected by the gender of the perpetrator and abuse type than female participants. Conclusion:The results suggest that people have stereotypes about the circumstances and consequences of child abuse. These stereotypes are often, though not always, consistent with existing empirical findings.

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Section: Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Limitations and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Child abuse in the eyes of the beholder: Lay perceptions of child sexual and physical abuse

Bornstein¹,

Kaplan²,

Perry³

2007

Child Abuse & Neglect

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“…A comprehensive study conducted by Broussard, Wagner, and Kazelskis (1991) further illuminates the ways in which undergraduate students perceive child sexual abuse. Specifically, written descriptions of sexual interactions between an adult and a 15-year-old were presented to 180 male and 180 female undergraduates to investigate the impact of victim sex, perpetrator sex, respondent sex, and victim response on labeling of child sexual abuse, eff ect on the child, and perception of realistic victim behavior.…”

Section: Perceptions Of Child Sexual Abusementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Th e intention of examining the impact of labeling on parents' expectations is not to blame parents, but rather to gain a more thorough understanding of the labeling eff ects. After all, it would not be fair to blame parents because, as previously demonstrated, the perceptions people have about individuals with sexual abuse histories often stem from prevalent attitudes in society (Broussard et al, 1991 andPodell et al, 1994). …”

Section: Labeling the Victimmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of adult expectations on the recovery of sexually abused children

Kouyoumdjian

Perry

Hansen

2005

Aggression and Violent Behavior

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Child sexual abuse is a disturbingly prevalent problem that has continued to receive increased attention in the United States. Because there is substantial variability in how sexual abuse impacts children, it is important to examine potential mediating variables, including the ways in which child and family factors contribute to children's recovery. One of the most extensively researched family variables has been parental support, and this research has demonstrated a positive relationship between parental support and children's functioning following sexual abuse. Another family variable that likely infl uences parent-child interactions and children's recovery is parental expectations. Although adults' expectations about children who are disadvantaged, gifted, or from varying family structures have been shown to infl uence children's functioning, research has only begun to examine the impact of adults' expectations on children's adjustment from sexual abuse. In light of the consistent fi nding that adults, including parents, teachers, and professionals, appear to hold negative expectations about the outcomes of sexually abused children, it is important to systematically investigate the relationship between parental expectancies and children's recovery from sexual abuse. Recommendations for future research and intervention are provided in an eff ort to better understand the role of adult expectations on the recovery of sexually abused children.

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